Corkage Culture?

Corkage for "BYO wine" can be as divisive as religion and politics, so this week we’ve sat down with Smidge Winemaker & Founder Matt Wenk to get his take on something that can make or break a dining experience.

Unexpectedly, Matt started by chatting about the contribution a particular wine can make to enhance a food experience, in much the same way good company does. Sometimes it can help create the perfect food and wine match, and other times it can be a wine that has been carefully stored for years for a celebration or happy memory that will just make a night out special. So it is important not to dismiss any wine at any time and appropriate corkage culture is important to achieve this.  He said it is critical for all parties to do their bit. “The margin a restaurant makes on a bottle of wine helps cover glassware, cleaning, breakages, service and in many cases maybe most of or even the only profit a restaurant will make on a cover – so in my own mind it is not just reasonable, but critical for an establishment to charge a balanced level of corkage to help ensure they are around to serve good food for another day”. During COVID and subsequent reduced occupancy this is even more important.

Independent on the specific restaurant charges, Matt has listed his top tips to drive success

1)     Ring in advance especially if you are taking more than one botte– sometimes restaurants will  prefer wines to be dropped off in advance, equally this is a good opportunity to find-out any charges to ensure there are no surprises on the night

2)     Don’t bring wines that are already on a restaurant's wine list or readily available at liquor outlets

3)     Be sure you buy a drink or two off the establishment's list, a pre or post dinner tipple purchased is always appreciated

4) If it’s a very special bottle or something fairly rare, it can be a nice touch to invite the sommelier to enjoy a taste too!